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The Troll Hunter (2010)
Certified: 12
Duration: 103 minutes
Directed by: André Øvredal
Starring: Otto Jespersen, Hans Morten Hansen, Tomas Alf Larsen, Johanna Mørck, Knut Nærum, Robert Stoltenberg, Glenn Erland Tosterud, Urmila Berg-Domaas
KRS release
The Troll Hunter is Norway’s answer to the Blair Witch Project (1999), even though its inspiration is probably more in the box-office hit Cloverfield (2008).
The film lives up to its name as it is about a man who hunts trolls. The result is a film that is simply gripping entertainment and is one of the best in the found film footage genre.
The film brings together Hollywood sensibilities with Norway’s stories of trolls and fairy tales, and most of all provides a conceivable and quasi-feasible setting in which these fantastical creatures can exist in the real world.
The group of teens in this feature are sound recordist Johanna (Johanna Morck), jittery cameraman Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen) who is mostly heard but not seen, and the group leader Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud).
The three are first trying to discover the truth about a poaching story they have come across.
Hans (Otto Jesperson) is the outsider, who may or may not be the cause of many cases of unlawful bear killings.
After following him in the forest they meet up with a troll, a Ringlefinch. There are various types of troll, as will be amply revealed in the film.
Hans is being employed by the secret Norwegian unit Troll Security Service. He is paid to keep the troll population in check. Not happy with his job, Hans lets the young film crew tag along and record his job on film.
Thankfully The Troll Hunter never fully embraces all of Blair Witch Project’s principles, and if you think that you will not get to see the trolls of the title, relax and think again.
The images of the giant trolls that are brought to the screen are simply captivating, and provide a foundation for the film’s cause by smoothly making us enter into the film’s story.
The film takes a methodical approach as we are given information about trolls, including scientific explanations that provide enough hokum to anchor this mockumentary in reality.
Another aspect that provides further spooky yet entertaining quality is the Norwegian countryside, which is simply breathtaking.
Snow-covered landscapes and fairy tale-like forests are the perfect setting for this kind of yarn. Moulding the gritty landscape with the tongue-in-cheek vision of rampaging trolls is simply a beautiful touch.
Charming in its approach, The Troll Hunter is at times humorous and capitalises on its fantastical premise to the max.
The way director André Øvredal designs and presents the film is its primary strength, because it manages to not only surprise its audience but also to wow them out.
What is surprising is how much background information is provided in such a short time.
The rules of the genre of vampires are already well established and popularly well known, but when it comes to Norwegian trolls in Hollywood the rules still have to be established.
The Troll Hunter builds up a whole background that provides the audience with a clear knowledge base.
See this movie before any Hollywood remake.